Latest Cycling News, June 2, 2009

Boonen returns today in Belgium

Troubled Quickstep star Tom Boonen will make an earlier than expected
return to racing today at the 65th Gullegem-Koerse in Flanders, Belgium.
The race will be Boonen's first since he was suspended
by his team following a second out-of-competition positive test for
cocaine.

"Tom is racing today," Quickstep team director, Patrick Lefevere told
Cyclingnews on Tuesday morning. It had been expected that Boonen
would make his return to the peloton at the Dauphiné Libéré later this
month.

"It is not a very big race but if Tom Boonen is there everybody wants
to be there," said Lefevere of the Belgian team's line-up.

"Obviously, we are not happy with what has happened," he added, referring
to the controversy that has surrounded the three-time Paris-Roubaix champion
since his suspension was announced on May 9. The news of Boonen's second
out-of-competition positive for cocaine was followed by reports that the
star sprinter had returned a third
positive result for the drug, in addition to the party drug ecstasy,
during an International Cycling Union (UCI) out-of-competition test in
November 2007.

"Yes, I think so," said Lefevere when asked whether he felt Boonen had
put his ongoing problems behind him and was prepared for a return to competition.
The former world champion is following a rehabilitation
programme to put an end to his party drug use.

Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme announced earlier this month
that there was no chance Boonen would be allowed to start when the race
begins in Monaco in five weeks time. Lefevere also confirmed that he had
received no response from Tour de France organisers Amaury Sport Organisation
after his requests that the ban on Boonen's participation be overturned.
The team manager is considering taking legal
action if the French race organiser refuses to welcome Boonen in the
event.

Danielson building form

American Tom Danielson (Garmin-Slipstream) has already experienced his
fair share of bad luck this season. Speaking to Cyclingnews the
day before finishing the Giro d'Italia in 78th place, Danielson hoped
to have turned the corner in what has been a disrupted season.

"It was okay, but it was a difficult stage for sure," said Danielson
of the Giro's stage
19 finish atop Mount Vesuvius. "All day it was really up and down
and along the coast, it was quite stressful with a lot of fighting for
positions. Really, the whole peloton had to ride hard for most of the
day. The last climb was obviously very challenging, a big climb pretty
steep in sections and pretty unforgiving, so I was happy, I went up steady."

Danielson admitted that he was lucky to be included in the Garmin-Slipstream
team for the Italian race, having been struck down by a parasitic infection
in April. "I got behind a little bit," he said. "I got quite sick with
giardia. I was supposed to do País Vasco, but I got sick there so obviously
I fell behind in my preparation. I was fortunate enough that the team
took me to the race here even though I wasn't 100 percent."

The American thus focused on working for his team and rebuilding his
form. "I worked hard for the team," he continued. "I gave my all in the
team time trial and
then I gave my all in the sprint stages for Tyler [Farrar], so I was just
really happy to be here doing that stuff. At the end of the race I was
told I could go up the climbs a little bit faster so I just went at my
own pace trying to build form for the future."

The Giro d'Italia was a mixed race for Garmin-Slipstream. A narrow loss
in the race's opening team time trial to rival American squad Columbia-Highroad
and the stage three exit of team leader Christian Vande Velde were contrast
with the consistent performances of sprinter Tyler Farrar and a third-place
finish for Danny Pate on stage
18.

"The morale is good, it's a great group of guys. Obviously it's
disappointing to lose Christian and hopefully he's okay but in terms of
the other guys I think everyone's improving. Danny [Pate] did a good performance,
he's in a good mood and the staff are in a good mood so the morale's quite
high," said Danielson of the feeling amongst the Garmin-Slipstream squad.

His next race will be the Tour de Suisse. The American remains unsure
whether his improving form will be enough to secure a place on his team's
Tour de France line-up. "I just try to look at it race by race. My next
race is the Tour de Suisse. I can't even think about that [the Tour de
France] right now," said Danielson.

Schleck brothers stars at Tour du Luxembourg

The five-day Tour de Luxembourg is starting tomorrow, Wednesday, June
3, with a 2.7-kilometre prologue in the city of Luxembourg. The small
Grand Duchy will once again welcome an international field of riders to
its stage race ending in the country's capital on Sunday.

Star riders of the event will of course be Fränk and Andy Schleck, leading
a strong Saxo Bank squad also including Fabian Cancellara and Stuart O'Grady.
Another big name riding the race won
last year by Joost Posthuma (Rabobank) is Andreas Klöden (Astana).

Voeckler satisfied with Giro

French rider Thomas Voeckler, known for his hearty breakaways, has lived
up to his reputation in the centenary Giro d'Italia, which finished on
Sunday in Rome. The captain of Bbox-Bouygues Telecom went off the front
many times during the three-week Grand Tour through Italy, and even though
he wasn't rewarded by a stage win still found the race satisfying.

"Generally, the outcome [of the Giro] is positive," said Voeckler. "With
a stage win, of course, it would have been magnificent. But only seven
teams won a stage at this Giro, so we shouldn't be ashamed."

The 29-year-old came close in the penultimate
stage of the event last Saturday, where he had to settle for second
just a few metres behind Belgium's Philippe Gilbert. In a Classic-like
finale, the Silence-Lotto rider and Voeckler jumped away with one kilometre
to go and battled it out between themselves.

"Sometimes, like at Paris-Nice
[stage
five - ed.] this year, I get second because of a tactical error. But
today [Saturday], I rode the perfect race.Philippe Gilbert was simply
stronger than me. He's one of the best riders in the world – not me, even
if I'm not too bad. So hats off to him."

Voeckler was part of at least five successful breakaways in the Giro
(stages 2, 3, 5, 18 and 20) and thus showed off his Bbox jersey well.
"I said before the start that we could be successful in the Giro without
winning a stage. Moreover, our youngsters proved themselves," added the
Frenchman, who led a relatively young team in the Giro.

Voeckler's next goals will be the Tour de Suisse, the national championships
and the Tour de France. He is happy with his current form and hopes to
win soon. "Of all the Grand Tours that I've raced, I think this is the
one where I'm the least tired in the end, even if I still feel knocked
out. One thing is for sure, If I don't race well in the Tour in July,
I won't say it's because of the Giro."

Henrion Belgian champion again

Ludivine Henrion (Red Sun Cycling Team) claimed the Belgian women's
elite road championship on Sunday in Hooglede, Belgium. The national title
was Henrion's second in three years.

"It's better than my first," she told Het Nieuwsblad. The 25-year-old
admitted that the victory was the result of an opportunistic rather than
a planned strategy.

Henrion attacked a small group coming into the finish in Gits and sprinted
away to take a victory. It was a one-two finish for riders from the Dutch
registered Red Sun Cycling Team as Latoya Brulee claimed second place
ahead of Topsport-Vlaanderen rider Kelly Druyts.